The Cow and the Riceball
by Goldenstargirl
Summary: NOW COMPLETED! Haru shows Tohru a beautiful place and she calls it their secret spot. What goes on there between them, no one knows but them. And quite a few things happen in that mystical place. Things that could possibly draw them closer to each other.
1. An Unscheduled Day Off

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Fruits Basket character's or the anime itself, so please don't sue me, I'm poor enough as it is.

A/N: This story idea came to me after watching a few HaruxTohru videos on YouTube, and reading a few stories about the fan-made couple. I think it's pretty good, but it's really your opinion that matters, so let me know what you thought about this story in a review, please. Thank you.

Tohru was on her way to school, running late for the second time that week because she woke up an hour later than usual and pleaded with Yuki and Kyo to go ahead without her, so that they wouldn't be tardy as well. Now she was racing down the street, desperate to get to class as soon as possible, her long brunette hair flying in the wind, and a panicked expression on her face.

"Please let me make it, please let me make it!"

Though she was already late, she hoped that if she wasn't **too **late, her teacher would forgive her tardiness.

With that thought in mind, she ran faster, but suddenly saw something, or rather someone, who made her jolt to a complete stop.

The black and white haired cow zodiac was standing in front of a tree, seemingly admiring the firm, rough, branches and the vibrant, emerald leaves. His expression was calm and relaxed, as if he didn't have a care in the world, and wasn't one bit worried about such trivial matters as getting to school on time.

Tohru's timid voice interrupted his silent musing however, and he glanced at the girl, blinking nonchalantly.

"Um…H-hi Haru. Shouldn't you be on you're way to school right now? We're both really late. Let's walk there together, okay?"

"...Hey Tohru. I was thinking about how the leaves stay fresh and green all Spring and Summer, but then they change to brown and yellow, and fall from the trees in Fall."

The rice ball gazed at him with a look of understandable confusion on her face, and then smiled and gave a polite reply.

"That is very interesting, Haru. You've been pondering that all this time?"

"Not really. I was on my way to school and then I saw a child crying because her pocky fell on the ground and got dirty, so I bought her a green tea chocolate ball. Then she thanked me and I started walking again, but I forgot where I was going, so I just wandered around for awhile and came to this tree."

"Oh…I see. That's a very nice story, but we really should get going now before we're even later than we already are."

"Hmm…I suppose that is a good idea. Where are we going again?"

Tohru sweat-dropped at his question.

"To school, remember?"

"You know something, I've got a better idea. Follow me."

He gently took her hand and led her away from the area they were in, ignoring her sputtered protests.

"B-but, what about school?! Haru, where are you taking me? I'm going to be sooo late! I hope everyone forgives me. Oh man, this is bad. What would mom say? Skipping a day of school! This is not good, not good at all!!!"

"Hey, would you calm down already? I'm taking you somewhere nice, so be quiet, geeze."

"Nice? What do you mean? Are we going to a hot spring or something?"

The cow nearly anime fell at her suggestion, and looked at her like she had grown two heads.

"No way. You'll see when we get there."

"Uh…alright, I guess."

Soon they were at the place he wanted to show her.

Tohru gasped in surprise and delight as she gazed upon the most wondrous place she'd ever seen.

A wide lake shimmered brightly in the morning sunlight, seeming to greet the two companions like a beacon of joy, birds flew above the gleaming water, singing warm, friendly notes cheerfully to them.

The young girl stared at the tranquil scene in absolute ecstasy, her face bearing the naturally happy look she always seemed to have.

"Wow, this is a really amazing place! It's very peaceful and serene, not to mention beautiful. Thank you very much for bringing me here."

"Don't mention it."

Haru had his standard neutral expression on, but Tohru could see through it, and was able to tell that he was pleased that she was enjoying herself.

Taking a seat on the grass, Tohru took in the scenery once more and smiled contentedly.

"How did you find this place, if you don't mind me asking."

"I stumbled upon it when I was taking a stroll one evening. I instantly took a liking to it, because I fancy pretty things like this."

"Really? So do I. I never even knew this spot was here until now. I'm lucky to be able to see it."

"Yeah. So am I."

And after that they stayed there in total silence, both of them basking in the calm, still, atmosphere, and enjoying the pleasant sight of the lake and the soothing sound of the twittering birds.


	2. The Trip Home

A/N: I was bored when I wrote this chapter, so forgive me if it isn't that good. The next one will be better, I promise.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, so don't drag me to court for this.

How long they stayed there, Tohru didn't know. All she was sure of was that the two of them had lingered in that place for long enough and it was time for them to go home now.

But, oh!, how she'd love to stay in that beautiful spot for just a little while longer…

However, she knew that if she and Haru didn't return home soon, the others would start to worry. She expected that they would already be concerned enough as it was, because they had not seen her in school, and she did not want to make them even more upset.

So, hesitantly, she informed her companion of her sudden decision.

"Hey, Haru, I think that we should go back now. Everyone's probably worried about us by now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

He stood up silently and then helped her up.

Taking Tohru's hand once more, he began to lead the way back home.

Feeling more elated than she had in a long time, Tohru followed the cow, beaming happily.

"So I guess that's our secret place now, huh?"

Haru blinked in surprise, and glanced at her briefly before looking away.

"I suppose it could be."

Even though he hadn't exactly sounded exited about it, the rice ball felt overjoyed at those five simple words.

'A secret place, just for us. I can't believe it! That's so wonderful! So completely wonderful!'

When they got home, it turned out that Tohru was right about the zodiac's reactions.

"Where the heck were you guys all this time?! Tohru, I'm surprised at you the most. I can understand Haru playing hooky, but you're usually always on time, and I can't remember you ever missing class. Not once. What gives, huh?!"

*Whack!*

"Please leave miss Honda alone, you irritable cat. I don't believe she is at fault here. I think Haru's to blame."

"Hey! Don't hit me you dumb mouse. I can talk to anyone, anyway I want to. You can't tell me what to do! What're you, my mom or something?!"

"Who in the world would want to be? I don't think anyone could handle you're temper. If I was you're parent, I would have you put out a long time ago."

"Why you…!!!"

"Actually…it is my fault Tohru wasn't at school today. I apologize for that. I just wanted to show her something."

"What exactly was it that you showed her, huh? I would just **love **to know!"

"I don't believe that's any of you're business, Kyo."

"Oh yeah?! Come and say that to my face ya stupid ox!"

Yuki could sense the oncoming disaster, and sighed deeply.

'Here we go again…"

Just as he said that, White Haru transformed into Black Haru, and walked closer to Kyo, until he was face to face with the fuming cat.

Tilting his head slightly forward, so that he was right in in Kyo's face, he repeated his former statement, speaking slowly, as if the orange-haired neko was an ignorant two year old.

"I said, I-don't-believe-that's-any-of-you're-business, Kyo.

"That does it! You're going down now, Haru!"

Kyo started to punch the cow in his face, but Haru effortlessly dodged it, and got Kyo in the gut with his own fist.

Tohru watched the fight with an anxious expression on her face.

"Yuki, do you think they'll be alright? Should we stop them?"

"It's okay, Miss Honda. Don't worry. It will be over soon, trust me."

And just then, Haru kicked the cat in his chin, sending him flying painfully to the ground.

"Oh no! Kyo, are you alright?"

The girl rushed to his side, and watched him fearfully as he sat up, putting a hand on his sore lower jaw.

"Heh, are you kidding? That was nothing. Yuki could hit harder than that. I want a rematch, ya weak cow!"

But, Haru had changed back into White Haru, and stared at Kyo with nonchalant gray eyes.

"I don't want to fight you anymore. I think I'm going to go get something to eat, I'm starving."

And with that, he walked calmly into the kitchen, leaving behind a steaming Kyo.

"Who does that guy think he is?! He can't just start a fight with me and then end it! I'll **make** him fight me if I have to!"

Yuki crossed his arms, glaring coolly at the angry neko.

"You can't just pick fights with people like that, Kyo. And anyway, you're the one who started it, not him. If you want to get you're butt kicked again though, go right ahead and be my guest. Trust me, I don't mind at all if you do."

That just about sent Kyo over the roof.

"Urrrg!!! Why do people like to purposely tick me off?! Do you want to fight with me or something? Is that why you're getting me upset?!"

"Not at all. I'm just saying that Haru is a much better fighter than you are, and you have no chance with him. That's all."

"What did you just say?! That is **not** true!"

"If you say so. Hey, Miss Honda, are you hungry?"

"Umm…a little bit."

"Well, I'll get you something to eat then."

"Oh, no, don't do that! I'll make something instead. I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble, or anything."

"It's no problem at all, Miss Honda. I enjoy cooking."

"Even though, you're no good at it."

Kyo sneered nastily.

"Oh, go jump off a roof, or something will you?"

"Hey, please don't fight you two, why don't we all just get something to eat?

"Hey that is a good idea Miss Honda. It's just about dinner time anyway."

Yuki smiled at her shyly, and she blushed and looked away.

Unknown to either of them, Kyo noticed the exchange between them, and clenched his fist in anger.

"I'm not very hungry right now. I think I'll just leave."

Tohru vainly tried to stop him from going, even though she knew it was a slim chance he'd stay.

"Please stay Kyo. I'm sure Yuki will make something delicious that you'll really enjoy."

"Keh, I'm not eating anything he makes. He might poison my plate."

The burnett's eyes widened at that.

"Oh, no, he wouldn't-"

"I wouldn't put it past him!"

That was the last thing Kyo said, before storming out of the house.

Tohru sighed forlornly, and Yuki took her by the hand and tried to comfort her.

"It's alright, Miss Honda. We don't need his unpleasant company anyway. Come on, let's go."

"O-okay…"

They entered the kitchen to find Haru making himself a sandwich.

"Umm…Haru, wouldn't you rather have a nice, hot meal instead?

Haru grinned at the girl's concern and finished making the sandwich.

"No, I'm good. I'm not insulting either one of you guys cooking, but I'd rather eat this instead.

Yuki rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

"Well that's nice to know. One less person to make food for anyway."

Taking a bite of his sandwich, Haru started to leave the kitchen.

Tohru put a hand on his shoulder without thinking, and he looked at her questioningly.

"Do you want something?"

Realizing what she had done, Tohru quickly took her hand off of him.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know where you were going. Are you going back to…you know…that place we went to before?"

Haru's expression went blank, and he scratched his head in confusion.

"What place are you talking about?"

"Uh…you know…the one with the pretty lake and the birds flying around everywhere. I loved it there; it was so nice and peaceful. Don't you remember it?"

"Hey, what are you guys talking about? I don't any place like that. Where is it, exactly?"

Tohru immediately begin to panick, upon realizing that she had to keep the spot a secret.

"Uh...um...I can't tell you that. It's a, um, secret. Sorry, Yuki!"

The mouse just shrugged at that, and turned away.

He didn't want to seem nosey, and anyway, he wasn't all that interested anymore.

If it was really supposed to be a secret, then he wouldn't want to know unless it was okay with Tohru.

Haru, seeing that Yuki was now starting dinner, and didn't seem to be interested in what they were saying, turned his attention back to Tohru.

"I don't know. Maybe."

That was enough to make her hopeful, even though it wasn't a guarantee.

"Then I'm coming with you!"

Haru glanced over at Yuki, and then gave the girl a warning look that told her to keep her voice down.

"I don't think so. It's fine for me to go, but you need to stay here. Yuki is fixing a nice dinner, just for you, and you don't want to disappoint him by not being here, do you?"

That made her expression fall, and she looked at the ground sadly.

"No, I guess I wouldn't."

As if to cheer her up, he added,

"Tomorrow's Saturday, so you can come then, because there will be no fear of missing school, and having Kyo flip out again. How about it?"

The girl smiled at him brightly, forgetting that she had been down a moment ago.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you Haru."

He gave her a small nod, and then left whistling a pretty tune.


	3. Music For The Soul

A/N: I'm rather nervous about this chapter for a few reasons. Reason one is that I stopped writing this chapter when I was halfway done with it, and then didn't continue it for a long time, and anytime I do that I always end up having a hard time finishing the rest of the story, and therefore I'm not sure how good the ending part is. Reason two is that I think I made Hatsuharu out of character at one part – I'm sure you won't have to look too hard for it – and made him say something that he'd probably never say. The reason I didn't correct it is because I couldn't think of what else to put, so I apologize for that bit of ooc-ness right now. The third reason is that I worked so hard on this and I'm still not completely satisfied with it. But, I suppose not everyone can be perfect, huh?

Anyway, despite my uneasiness, as they say in movies, the show must go on, and so I'm moving on to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own the anime Fruits Basket or the song Be Your Girl by Chieco Kawabe.

Tohru awoke early, and went through her closet to find something nice to wear.

After a few minutes, she picked out a pretty white lace strap shirt, and a short blue jean skirt.

"Ah…these clothes are a bit too light, but its fine I guess, since it's warm outside."

The girl said to herself as she left her room.

She planned on making breakfast for everyone, and then finding Haru-san, so that they could go to their little spot together.

Unfortunately, things didn't work out quite as she had planned.

While she was finishing up breakfast, Yuki, and Shigure came into the kitchen. Kyo, she knew, would be down soon as well. He just liked to sleep in on the weekends.

"Mmm…It's smells wonderful in here! What have you been cooking for us, my little flower?"

"Good morning, Shigure-san. Well there's steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and fried beans."

"Wow, that sounds really good right now. I expect nothing less from such a delicate young housewife."

Yuki's aura darkened ominiously, and Tohru shivered at his sudden mood swing.

"Please do not refer to Miss Honda as your housewife. It irritates me."

The dog pretended to ignore what Yuki had said, and instead seated himself at the table, where Tohru carefully placed the food before them.

Taking a bite of fish, Shigure eyes widened dramatically and the expression on his face would make anyone envy his meal.

Yuki ate a bit also, and then took great pains to compliment the girl on her cooking.

"Miss Honda this is truly delicious. You amaze me every single time you make a meal. I must say I'm a little jealous. My cooking is absolutely bland compared to this."

He was rewarded for his words, when Tohru blushed prettily.

"Oh you don't mean that. I'm sure you're a much better cook than I am. I enjoy eating your meals when you cook for me."

Shigure couldn't help putting his two-scents in.

"My dear Tohru, I'm afraid your very much mistaken. Yuki here, sad as it may seem, couldn't even cook a simple dish of white rice. Honestly, it's a wonder I've survived as long as I have before you came, because the food he made was so tasteless and unappetizing, I-"

He finally quieted down upon seeing the heated threat in the rat's eyes.

"Uh…nevermind, I really shouldn't have said anything. Thank you so much for the meal Tohru, but I must get started on my story now. I have a really good idea for a new novel."

Yuki glanced warningly at Shigure.

"It better not have anything to do with Miss Honda, you pervert."

At that, the dog let out an over-dramatic gasp, and put a hand over his heart.

"Yuki! I'm surprised at you. How could you even for one second think that I would do something so shameful as to write Tohru as one of my characters? It's unthinkable!"

The teenager grabbed the grown man by his shirt collar and leaned into his face threateningly.

"You'd better not do it even with her permission. Understand?"

Seemingly unperturbed by this turn of events the dog just nodded carelessly and agreed.

Tohru, only slightly bothered by the scene, as she had seen it so many times before, began cleaning up Shigure, and Yuki's – since he was also done eating – plates.

The dog left to write his story, and Yuki stayed to keep her company.

After a little while, Kyo appeared coming down the steps rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Yuki, seeming to be uncharacteristically arguemental that day, crossed his arms and glared slightly at the still-half-asleep cat.

"Hmph. You should at least have enough decency to come to breakfast on time, instead of keeping Miss Honda waiting."

"Oh shut up, you stupid rat."

Kyo, not appearing to have enough energy to fully confront Yuki, took a seat and silently began eating.

"Good morning, Kyo."

Tohru chirped up cheerfully.

"Hey, Tohru. Thanks for the food."

Tohru walked over to Yuki, and took his hand, a worried expression on her face.

Not knowing what was wrong, Yuki's hand instinctively tightened on hers, his voice turning gentle, along with his tone.

"What's wrong, Miss Honda?"

"Well, um, you just seem to be in a bad mood today. Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine, really. You don't have to be concerned about me."

She could tell he was lying and refused to let the subject go.

"Yuki, I know something's wrong. Please tell me what it is. I can't help you if you don't."

His eyes softened at her persistent, caring tone.

"Well it's just that…"

He stopped, and looked at Kyo, who didn't seem to be listening, but was busy gobbling up the food in front of him.

Lowering his voice, he spoke again.

"Come on, I don't want to tell you here. Let's go someplace else."

He led her to his room, and closed the door, not locking it only because he didn't want her to be even more worried than she was, but wary all the same of the cat downstairs.

He took a seat on his bed, and patted the spot next to him, gesturing to her to sit down too.

She sat down, and looked at him curiously, but he just stared at his hands wordlessly, not knowing how to begin saying what he needed to.

At last he spoke.

"Tohru…I'm sure you know that sometimes Kyo and I argue and fight about, well, a lot of stuff, and we're not on very good terms with each other. Well, we never were, but that's beside the point. What I'm trying to say is that lately we've become even more distant, and I'm afraid that it might upset you unnecessarily. You've already endured our problems enough as it is, I would hate for you to be uncomfortable around us because we couldn't get along."

"Oh…so that's what it is. Well, it does bother me a little when you guys argue and fight, but you haven't done anything lately to make me think that you disliked each other anymore than usual, so…uh…there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Yuki sighed tiredly, wondering how he could make her understand things better.

It wasn't just that they weren't getting along, because it's true that they never did, but, oblivious as she was to the fact, the problem here, was the girl herself.

For a long time now the rat and the cat have been fighting for Tohru's affection, and lately their harmless game of tug-of-war had become a bit more serious.

They both loved the rice ball very much, and neither was willing to give her up. And so the two had agreed on a little dare to settle matters once and for all.

The dare was that whoever kissed Tohru first was the one that could have her, and eventually confess their feelings to her.

The terms were simple enough. Neither of them could kiss her, she had to be the one to do it, or else it didn't count.

Also, the kiss given had to be on the lips. That was a very strict rule. If it was on the cheek, nose, or forehead, it also didn't count.

So far, try as they might, neither one was able to get the girl to lock lips with them, and both were getting impatient and rather put-out because of it.

But neither was willing to give up, especially not the stubborn, determined cat.

He was strong-willed and persistent and also surprisingly patient. Lately though, his patience had been wearing thin, and he'd been trying harder than ever to make Tohru kiss him.

He couldn't force her, but he could coax her. By acting uncharacteristically sweet and being so kind and considerate to her that it was almost charming, he had nearly gotten her to kiss him twice – or so he thought anyway -, but every time something went wrong, and they were rudely interrupted.

It unnerved the mouse, and irritated him to no end to realize that the cat had a good chance of winning. At least **he**could charm her without even trying, Kyo had to work at it. It wasn't fair that his hot-headed brother was ahead of him, he wouldn't stand for it.

Yuki had to get Tohru to kiss him before Kyo did, and he fully intended to.

But he decided to take things slow for Miss Honda's sake. She knew nothing about what the boys were planning, and it was only fair to give her time to figure out who it was she liked more.

The reason he was so on edge was because the cat hadn't been making any attempts to steal Tohru's attention, and that really bothered him.

At first he'd figured that Kyo was just tired of trying to woo her, and was considering defeat. But then again, it wasn't like him to give up so easily, so what could be wrong?

Yuki didn't like not knowing what was going on in the cat's mind, and what was even worse was that Tohru's attention seemed to be focused away from them, and, at least for the moment, directed towards the cow.

It wasn't that he was concerned about that, no, for the longest time now the cow had been infatuated with him, having had a crush on Yuki since they were kids, and even if he had stopped "crushing" on him, there was still the matter of Rin who he had never forgotten about, even though the horse could care less about him.

The problem was that if she divided her already limited time up even more, there would be less of it to spend with him, what with her job, and school, and now Momiji who seemed to always want to play with her for one reason or another.

Yuki couldn't complain because she spent as much time with him as possible, and Kyo as well, even though Yuki didn't think the cat deserved it, and anyway, being around her alleviated the stress he felt, giving him both patience and a calmness that strengthened his resolve to win the girls heart.

Giving Tohru a weak smile, he decided to put off telling her, at least for now. It was best that she not know she was being betted on like a horse in a race, and besides, she was dealing with enough as it was, what with finals coming up, and her job working her harder, or he should say, her working harder of her own free will to earn more money so she could buy the family nice things. The girl was really nice that way, and much too generous for her own good.

"It's nothing Miss Honda. Your right we're just not getting along very well, that's all. We'll find a way to make up somehow, meanwhile don't worry about it."

"Okay, if your sure that's all that's wrong. Just try to get along and not argue. I really don't like it when you guys fight."

"Of course Miss Honda, I'll try for you. By the way, those look like nice cloths, are you going somewhere?"

"Oh, uh, well yes. I'm going to…to…"

Tohru hated lying to people, especially those close to her, but if she was going to keep Hatsuharu's secret place a secret she didn't have much of a choice.

So she swallowed, and tried again.

"I'm going to visit Uotani-san right now. I hope you don't mind that I'm leaving, I mean, I don't have to go. I could stay here and keep you company instead if you want."

"Oh, you're too kind Miss Honda, but it's alright. You go see your friend, I've got some things to do today anyway."

"Okay then. I should leave as soon as possible. By Yuki!"

"Bye."

Tohru left the room and went downstairs, heading straight for the door.

Before she could reach it however, she was stopped by a hand gripping her shoulder.

"Hey, where do you think your going?"

"Hi Kyo, I was just going to see my friend Arisa. I'll be gone for awhile, but I'll be back in time to make lunch for everyone."

At that, he crossed his arms and leaned against a wall.

"Hmph. Just remember I'll be waiting for you to get back here and make my lunch, so don't forget about that, alright?"

She gave him one of her trademark smiles, the ones that made him melt instantly.

"Don't worry, I won't forget, and I'll make a big, healthy meal too. You'll get so full off of it you won't be able to take another bite, and you won't even ask for seconds."

Kyo couldn't help the laugh that emitted from him at her words, or the warm smile that formed on his lips.

She was so cute sometimes.

"Baka, I always ask for seconds. Now you better get out of here. You don't want to keep your friend waiting."

"Hai, see you later Kyo-kun."

Tohru opened the door and exited the sohma house, stepping out onto the porch.

Always the cheerful one, she hummed a happy tune as she walked along.

Soon, she stopped humming and started singing instead.

"Baby I wanna be your girl. Baby all I need is you. Even though we're together so much now, even though you love me this much now, time isn't on my side. I can't be your girlfriend."

"Again and again I thought I was okay with sharing you with somebody else, but again and again I cry knowing I don't want that. Even if it's a lie, even if it's just for peace of mind, tell me I'm the only one."

Her clear, pretty voice broke through the silence, sounding beautiful even to her own ears. Singing was a good distraction for her, and as she sung, she got closer to her destination.

"It hurts when the effects of your kiss wear off. Are you leaving already? Telling myself it would be cowardly to cry here, I grit my teeth and hold myself back."

"Again and again I thought I was okay with sharing you with somebody else, but again and again I cry knowing I don't want that. Even if it's a lie, even if it's just for peace of mind, come on please! Your the only one inside me. Tell me I'm the only one you love."

She stopped singing when she realized she was already there. Immediately she spotted Hatsuharu staring off into the distance.

Smiling, she walked over to him, but before she could greet him he turned and looked at her.

"It's about time you showed up. I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

Tohru became nervous when she thought about how long he must have waited for her. She began stammering out an apology, but he stopped her, waving it aside.

"It's okay. I know you must have been really busy cooking and cleaning for those guys. It's a wonder you ever have time to rest what with them working to death."

"Ah, no it's not like that at all. I choose to work to pay for my lodging. I'm very grateful that Shigure generously let me stay at his house for so little. Cooking and cleaning are things that I'm good at, so it's really no big deal for me."

"Heh, I almost forgot how selfless and kind you are. Of course you wouldn't mind doing those things. But someone else might have complained about it. Their lucky to have found someone like you. You're a one in a million girl Tohru."

Tohru's face turned bright red and her movements quickened due to embarrassment.

"T-that's not true. I mean I'm not even that wonderful, I'm very average, you could find a thousand girls like me, a-and of course I wouldn't complain, why would I? There's nothing to complain about. And their not that lucky, I mean they could find anyone to live with them and do what I'm doing and, and…"

Tohru trailed off, realizing that she was babbling. Haru chuckled at her cute expression, and patted her head affectionately.

"Anyway, let's relax for awhile as long as we're alone. I'm kind of bored so I think I'll play some music."

He sat down on the ground and pulled a small instrument from his pocket.

A shiny metal flute was nestled comfortably in the palm of his hand. Tohru knelt beside the cow and examined it curiously. It was a very pretty instrument, slim and sleek, and delicate. It looked new, and she wondered when he got it.

Without a word, Haru held the flute firmly in his hands, and gracefully lifted it to his lips.

As he played, light, melodious music drifted softly through the air, the sweet notes filling Tohru's ears. Closing her eyes, the girl let the gentle tones move her, her emotions swaying and her heart lifting from the harmonical sounds.

When the brown orbs opened again, a gasp escaped her lips as she gazed at the person that the pleasant music was coming from.

He was absolutely still, except for his hands which moved gracefully as his slender fingers skimmed over the keys in swift motions. He had a serene, almost angelic air about him. His hair moved gently about his face as it was blown around by the wind. He had a distant, faraway look in his eyes, and Tohru wondered if he was daydreaming about something. When the sun started moving closer to them, shifting slightly from its place in the sky, she could have sworn he was glowing slightly from its light.

Awhile after he started playing Tohru noticed that a small group of animals had gathered around him, and had to force herself not to release a startled gasp, lest she frighten them away.

The girl watched in quiet fascination as a small fawn crept up to the boy and, careful to keep a safe distance between himself and the strange human, knelt comfortably in the grass, seeming to be as interested in the music as she was.

A baby rabbit actually hopped next to the cow and rested against his leg. And two chipmunks nibbled on nuts while observing the boy with large hazel eyes.

Rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming Tohru finally confirmed that what she was seeing was real. When a cute squirrel moved slowly towards her, she raised her hand to pet it, fearing its safety the animal scurried away from the girl, and she frowned disappointedly. The next time it shyly went up to her she again attempted to pet it, and this time it let her. Silently squealing with joy, Tohru saw that more animals were moving towards her, cautious, but still curious about the pretty human who seemed perfectly safe to them. Only the squirrel let her touch him, the rest shied away from her, but she didn't mind. Just being able to be close to them was enough for her.

When the beautiful music stopped all of the creatures scurried back to wherever they had come from and Tohru watched Hatsuharu put the flute back in his pocket with more than a bit of disappointment.

"Thank you very much for playing that beautiful song. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Did you see the animals? I think they like your music too."

He smiled in amusement at the excited expression on her face.

"You're very welcome. I play the flute every now and then, but up til now I've only played it alone. I've never had an audience before."

His grin widened.

"And I certainly never expected an audience full of animals. They came from out of nowhere and left right after I stopped playing. I enjoyed their company, but not quite as much as you, I believe."

Tohru blushed in embarrassment.

"Well they were very nice to have around."

"Yes that is true. You know you've been gone for awhile now, do you think Yuki and the others are worried about you?"

"Oh no, I have plenty of time to spend with you."

"Is that so?"

Haru's expression turned thoughtful and he was quiet for a long time.

At last he turned his attention back to the girl next to him.

"Tohru can you sing?"

"Sure. I mean…I think I sing pretty well. Why do you ask?"

"Well…I think I know something that we can do to keep ourselves entertained for awhile."

A/N: To be continued, muhahahah!!! I am sooo evil for leaving it at this! Don't worry, I will continue it soon. I just wanted to post this chapter and not make you all wait even longer than you have been. So really, I'm just being thoughtful, not mean ^^

Please review and tell me what you thought about the chapter. There's a cookie in it for ya if you do ^_~


	4. Of Flowers and Songs

A/N: I suddenly realized that I hadn't updated this story in awhile and managed to scrape up a few ideas for a new chapter. Whether you like it or not please review so I'll know you read it. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Fruits Basket or the song Every Heart by Boa.

"Round and Round the planets revolve round the sun. And we always seek after love and peace forever more. Growing growing woe baby we can work it out. Look at the sky every heart is shining all today.

Goes and goes the time goes on we are not alone. We live on together and we will find some precious things. Sometimes we well smile sometimes we will cry somehow. Don't forget believing yourself - Tomorrow's never die."

Tohru stopped singing and looked to Haru for approval.

The cow (who had been studying her with intense gray eyes) smiled slowly and nodded pleasantly.

"Not bad for a third try. With a little more practice your voice will sound better and with time you could even consider becoming a singer."

Tohru blushed fiercely at the comment and shook her head wildly.

"N-no I could never be that good. Without your wonderful playing I sound terrible!"

He chuckled good-naturedly.

"You always manage to make someone else sound great and make yourself seem awful."

She fidgeted with her hands and shifted nervously staring at the ground.

"You should give yourself a little more credit Tohru. You're an amazing person and everyone you meet knows it the moment they see you. Your modest nature only makes your kind heart that more obvious. I envy you, ya know. You with your chaste innocence and caring ways. Your pure, untainted soul and benignant personality. I bet that there's no one like you on earth."

He smiled fondly at the girl who's face now resembled a very ripe tomato. The riceball didn't answer for a moment and seemed to be searching for the correct thing to say.

Finally she spoke choosing her words with the utmost care.

"Thank you for those kind words, but I really don't see what's so special about me."

"There you go again with the modesty."

He sighed softly, leaned forward and plucked a flower from the ground.

He eyed it wordlessly for a moment. "I bet this would would look really pretty in your hair." He mumbled.

"Eh?" She blinked in confusion not having caught the faint murmur.

Without a word of explanation he leaned towards her and gently grabbed her head pulling it close to him. With a quick movement he placed the flower snugly in her hair and let go of her leaning back to examine the way the beautiful flower enhanced her already lovely features.

Tohru put a hand to her head in bewilderment. Feeling the soft flower nestled there she stared at Haru in confusion earning a quiet laugh from the cow.

He said quite audibly, "Just as I thought - it **does** look beautiful on you."

She fingered it curiously, wanting to take it out to see what kind it was but when she looked down she glimpsed thousands of slightly different colored ageratum's. They dotted the ground in a colorful cluster ranging from dark blue to light purple looking very beautiful indeed.

Her eyes rose to meet his and her tone was one of surprise. "I didn't even notice them before but they are very pretty."

Haru rested his chin on his palm and gazed at her lazily. "Almost as pretty as you." he said.

Her entire face reddened and she stood and walked over to the river gazing into it's clear, mirror-like surface.

Seeing her reflection staring back at her she blinked and the girl in the water blinked back. She noticed the flower settled in her brown locks and smiled warmly. It really did look nice on her. It was purple and feathery and made her look extremely attractive.

She touched it gingerly and turned to Hatsuharu.

"Thank you. I like it a lot. It's the sweetest thing anyone's ever given me."

He simply nodded absently and looked the other way fingering his flute.

Tohru decided not to mention the tinge of pink she had seen on his cheeks, but giggled softly to herself instead.

He could be so cute sometimes.

Haru began playing a song on his flute and Tohru started to collect ageratum's to make a flower chain with.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed and then Tohru said conversationally, "so, have you spoken to Rin at all lately?"

The music stopped abrubtly. The girl suddenly realized what she'd said and flinched. She had forgotten that the mention of the horse was upsetting to the cow. Nevertheless she managed to ask timidly, "are you two still having problems? If me talking about her is troubling you I'll stop right now."

His eyes darkened for just a moment and then he shrugged nonchalantly.

"She doesn't want to speak to me just now. She says that she never wants to see me again, but I know she'll be back. She always comes back."

"Ah...really? Well then I hope she comes visit soon. I know how much you enjoy seeing her."

"Mmm..." More playing.

Understanding that the subject was dropped she began tieing the flowers together expertly and silently. Well...maybe not so silently. The brunette hummed a vague tune that she remembered from years ago when she was a child, a constant smile on her cheerful face.

When it was finally completed she took the chain of flowers over to a distracted Haru who was absently observing the grass waving in the wind and laid it atop his head.

He blinked dumbly when he felt the almost nonexistant weight of the chain on his head and put a hand up to touch it.

Tohru grinned happily. "That's a "thank you" crown. You gave me a flower so now I'm giving you a **crown** of flowers."

Haru chuckled and stared up at her being careful not to make the ageratum's on his head fall off.

"Arigato Tohru-chan."

Tohru was startled. She'd never heard Hatsuharu call her by that honorific before. He'd always just call her 'Tohru".

She was caught off gaurd by the tender smile on his face as well. She knew when it came to her he was more laid back than he was around other people but he'd never been _this_ relaxed before.

The girl decided not to question it and knelt on the grass beside him.

To her surprise he instantly laid down and dropped his heavy head in her lap. His eyes closed and his breathing evened out like he was falling asleep.

Tohru gasped with shock and fear.

"Oh you musn't fall asleep now; I have to go back soon and start getting lunch ready!"

He scoffed quietly and waved a hand as if waving her anxiousness aside.

"Let them wait a bit longer. Your always working so hard for those people and they don't appreciate it enough. I want to spend time with you - I hardly ever get a chance to hang around with you. Stay with me awhile and sing a song, any song. Sing something soft and sweet. Please. I love your voice."

She hesitated, but in the end couldn't say no to him.

So she sang a lullaby while running her fingers through his coarse hair, the soothing lyrics having a sedative effect on his tense nerves.

Within minutes he was drifting off and the riceball continued singing the same calming song.

In that moment it was just the two of them sharing a peaceful moment together. Tohru and Haru. A Riceball and a Cow. Two completely different people bound by their depthless affections for one another.

As they grew closer those affections would deepen and become something more than friendship. In time they would find within each other a love stronger than any either of them could ever imagine.

The sun shone brightly on the two as the guiding hands of destiny carried them along.

A/N: Okay, I know the ending is very sucky and your probably thinking, "What happened? She was doing so well at first and now she's screwing the story up this badly." Well...to tell you the truth my heart's not completely in the story right now. I have so many things on my mind at the moment and none of them are good. At this point in my life my writing is all I have, all that's keeping me going. I kinda just want to throw the towel in and lay down and sleep forever - that's how much I hate my life right now. But I know there are people in my life who love me and care about me and that's what keeps me alive, what keeps me motivated to keep going everyday. I will update, but only if you really want me to. If you think this story is going too far downhill then I will stop it here with no qualms. But if you want me to continue just let me know and I will.


	5. Once Black then White

Disclaimer: I don't own the anime Fruits Basket. If I did I wouldn't be writing this story. Plain and simple :P

Haru was rudely (in his mind) awaked by a small hand shaking his shoulder.

Gray eyes opened to stare into anxious brown orbs.

"Haru-san please get up. We really have to go - it's getting late."

He simply mumbled grumpily and shut his eyes again.

When the shaking resumed his eyes snapped open and narrowed on the girl's face.

"Will you **PLEASE** stop doing that!"

The chocolate orbs widened in shock. He was in his Black form again! But what had made him go black? She had done nothing to bring out the negative personality...had she?

Maybe waking him hadn't been such a good idea after all...

"Uh...Haru-san the sun is setting and it's almost dinner time. If I don't get back soon Yuki and Kyo will get worried and start looking for me."

"Whatever. You can go if you want to, but I'm staying here. I'm tired and get irritated if I don't get enough sleep."

'So that's it...'

He had turned Black because he hadn't gotten enough rest. In that case she would just have to leave without him. It saddened her to have to go but she needed to get back to Shigure's and fix dinner for the guys. If she didn't do it poor Yuki would have to and he did enough already. And plus if he cooked she knew Kyo wouldn't eat. He didn't trust the rat any farther than he could throw him, which, Yuki being so much stronger than him, wasn't very far.

"Okay then, I'll leave now. But I'm coming back here tomorrow morning. I love this place and I'm visiting it every chance I get."

She gently lifted the cow's head off her lap and laid it on the soft grass.

As she started to rise a hand gripped her arm and held her in place. She gazed at him questioningly and he smirked in that way that only Black Haru smirked.

"Don't stay away too long cutie or I'll have to drag you away from that place with brute force."

Her mouth opened in an O shape of surprise and Haru laughed, greatly amused.

"Just kidding. You better get going before that stupid cat starts going balistic. You know how he gets when your away too long."

"O-okay. Will you be fine here by yourself?"

He nodded confidently. "I'll be fine."

"Good." She smiled sweetly and he melted at her warm expression. Before her startled eyes he became White Haru and pulled her down onto his chest.

Before she say a word his arms went around her and he spoke, his words drifting sweetly to her ears like honey.

"I'll miss you...Tohru."

All she could offer in way of a reply was a bewildered, "eh?!"

And then she was lightly pushed away and found herself once again on the smooth grass.

Haru was instantly tranformed into a cow but that didn't stop him from laying down and nonchalantly drifting off to sleep.

Tohru stared at him and sweat-dropped. Hatsuharu could be so calm when he wanted to be. She really envied him.

Now she had to go home and face the furious cat and concerned rat.

"Oh...I'm _really_ not looking forward to this!"

Nervous and guilt-ridden she started home. She only hoped that Kyo wouldn't become suspicious of where she'd been all this time. He disliked the cow enough as it was. She didn't need to give him yet another reason to scorn him.

A/N: Ugh! Another short chapter! Oh well. Please read and review. I'm slowly moving this story along and I have a few ideas for the next chapter so give me some nice comments and helpful criticism so that I can have self-confidence to start the next chapter and fix any mistakes I have on this one.


	6. Returning Home

A/N: Here's another chapter guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Fruits Basket or any of it's character's.

Upon reaching Shigure's place the anxious riceball tried to think of an excuse as to why she was so very late. Unfortunately nothing came to mind so she simply took a deep breath and stepped into the house.

Not to her surprise the first person to greet her was Kyo.

She stared nervously at the neko, waiting for the outburst she knew would come. He scowled and said, "Where have you been? I've been waiting FOREVER for you! Do you know that I missed lunch because of you? That damn rat cooked leeks just because he knew I hated them and there's no way in hell I'll eat that stuff. Now that you've finally come back the least you can do is fix my dinner!"

She jumped at the anger in his voice. "I-I'm sorry Kyo-kun. I'll start on your dinner right away."

Her pretty face flushed with guilt and she hurried to do just that.

She was clumsy while making the meal because Kyo wouldn't go away. He sat impatiently at the table watching her every move with hot, hungry eyes. The attention made her extremely uneasy and she prayed she wouldn't mess up the food and displease him further.

Before she was done Yuki entered the kitchen looking tired and irritable.

His frown melted into a kind smile when he spotted her. "Hello miss Honda." He said, taking a seat as far away from the cat as possible.

"Hello Yuki." She replied sweetly.

Kyo grunted, his patience completely run out. "This is crazy! I'll be asleep by the time your done. Even the rat cooks faster than this!"

Yuki glared at him. "You should be grateful that miss Honda is the one cooking. Unless you'd prefer to have leeks for dinner too."

"No, what I'd prefer is for you to shut your damn mouth!"

Yuki stood up facing Kyo in a battle stance. "I'd prefer it if you'd stop insulting miss Honda, considering she's actually willing to cook for an ungrateful cat like you!"

Kyo jumped up, furious. "I'm tired of hearing your damn mouth. Now I'm gonna shut you up once and for all!!!"

Tohru looked on in horror as Kyo swung a punch at Yuki, only to have him deflect it and at the same time deal a swift kick to his face.

Undeterred, Kyo kicked him in the gut and he in turn punched him in the jaw. The fight only got so far before Shigure came and complained.

"Must you two always do this? Don't you know your ruining my house?"

Of course they ignored him and continued to beat the crap out of each other. Eventually (of course) Yuki won and Kyo grumbled bitterly over the defeat ignoring Tohru's concerned stare.

Yuki smirked victoriously. "You should know by now not to pick fights with me you dumb cat. There's no way you'll ever win against me."

To his surprise Kyo only grinned. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that."

He grabbed Tohru by the arm and gazed at her with hurt puppy dog eyes. "Tohru-chan, please help me."

Yuki gaped in shock at his helpless tone and Shigure snickered silently, knowing where the sly neko was going with this.

Tohru was surprised by the sudden change in the cat but said gently, "Yes Kyo, what's wrong?"

He made a show of acting really weak and leaned against her, careful not to put too much weight on her delicate body.

"That mean rat put a cut on my lip and it hurts real bad. Will you please kiss it and make it feel better?"

Tohru's face immediately reddened and she blinked, embarrassed at the uncomfortable question.

"I-I...uh... guess-"

--**WHAM!--**

Kyo gripped his head tightly, trembling from the throbbing pain in his skull.

Yuki was breathing hard and looked the maddest Tohru had ever seen him.

"You cheating cat! That was low even for you!"

The startled girl only stared in bewilderment until a sound from the stove distracted her from the scene.

"Oh no! the stew!"

She ran over to the stove and gasped at the overflowing pot.

Tohru, being Tohru, started spazzing out and Yuki calmly turned off the heat and removed the lid.

Attempting to calm the panicked girl he said soothingly, "It's fine Tohru, it's not burnt or anything. It's still edible, so please calm down."

She froze at that and then relaxed. Giving the rat a relieved smile she turned to Kyo, but the cat was gone.

"Where did Kyo-kun go?"

Yuki rolled his eyes at the cat's name. "He must have ran off to release some steam. He'll be back. I know he wouldn't miss out on your food miss Honda."

The riceball frowned. Why did she get the feeling that Kyo was more upset at her than Yuki? Shaking her head to dismiss the thought she waited for the stew to cool down so she could serve it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyo was at his favorite place - the roof. Going to a really high place to chill really calmed his nerves, and right now he definitely needed to relax.

All he could think about was Yuki. That damn rat ruined everything. His plan was fool-proof! Well...up until he foiled it anyway. And what was wrong with that dumb girl anyway? Why was it so hard to get her to kiss him? She was too innocent for her own good. And on top of that she was so damn oblivious. She would never know how he felt unless he told her himself. Why the hell had they made the rule that _they_ couldn't kiss her? It was obvious that unless one of them kissed her this stupid game would go on forever. But just as he thought that an idea entered his mind.

Maybe...he could ask her to kiss him? Yuki never said they couldn't ask...

A mischievous expression lit up his face. Now he had an even better plan to win this game.


	7. Failed Attempts And Heart Broken Nekos

A/N: Hey guys, I'm sorry for the long wait. I also apologize, because from here on out the chapters will be shorter, since I won't have much time to update. Don't worry though, I will continue to update this story, so please don't abandon it. Also, to make up for the shorter chapters I will start putting the names of the people who review at the end of each chapter. Is that an even exchange? Yes? Alright ^-^

I'm too tired from writing the story, so I'll have Hatsuharu do the disclaimer.

Hatsuharu: She doesn't own Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does.

Tohru jumped at the knock on her door; she had been trying to get to sleep, but her mind was too troubled to allow her to rest. Kyo had come back into the kitchen shortly after he stormed out, looking vaguely triumphant. He hadn't said another word to the rat, but he had kept his full attention on her, which made Yuki very irritable. To her surprise, the cat's bad attitude seemed to have disappeared. He had behaved ALMOST like a perfect gentleman, making polite conversation to a startled Tohru, who was used to a much more aggravated Kyo, even going so far as to offer to help clean the dishes when they were done eating. Shigure had known what was going through the sly neko's head, but poor Yuki had been left clueless. He didn't know what the cat's plan was, but he had to fight back to urge to grab him and throw him outside, to resist leaving a bad impression on Tohru. As nice as Kyo had been, Tohru was slightly disturbed by his unusual behavior. She had been lying in bed pondering over what was wrong with him, when a loud knock interrupted her thoughts.

Now, the riceball quickly sat up and called out softly, "Come in."

The door opened and an orange haired neko entered the room.

Kyo closed the door noiselessly and stared at her. She looked sleepy and yet wide awake at the same time. Her hair was tousled from lying in bed, her clothes were wrinkled, her eyes were slightly red from lack of sleep, but blinked alertly. The girl looked at him, tired expression being replaced with mild shock. "Oh, hi Kyo-kun."

He frowned at the obvious surprise in her voice. Wasn't she happy to see him?

Seeing the very person who had been on her mind mere seconds ago startled her, but Tohru smiled at him reassuringly, and patted a spot next to her. Kyo walked slowly over to the bed and sat down beside her.

For a moment, a warm, comfortable silence settled over the two. Tohru knew that, for her at least, it should have felt awkward. She still didn't know why Kyo had acted so uncharacteristically at dinner, and it was worrying her, but still, she felt a hesitant contentment as she unconsciously leaned against the cat's shoulder. She was tired, but as long as Kyo was there with her she couldn't let herself rest until she figured out what was going on.

Kyo didn't object when Tohru leaned on his shoulder. He was really happy - everything was going as planned. Now, all he had to do was-

Without warning, he turned to face her, and because she was still leaning on him she ended up resting on his chest instead of his shoulder.

The riceball blushed furiously and moved to get up, but Kyo wrapped his arms around her back and held her to him. The poor girl attempted to push herself off him, but his grip was too tight and she couldn't move an inch.

Not knowing what else to do, Tohru just let him hold her, feeling extremely uncomfortable and understandably embarrassed. Some seconds passed without either of them saying a word, and then Kyo said quietly, "Tohru...I need you to do something for me."

Finding her voice, the girl squeaked out mousily, "Y-yes, Kyo?"

His grip on her loosened slightly and he stared at her confused face, feeling only a hunger to have her in his arms forever.

The next words he uttered were soft and wistful.

"Kiss me."

Her round eyes widened noticeably. "W-what?"

He gazed into her eyes, so beautiful, just like the rest of her, and leaned his head closer.

"Kiss me."

Their faces were centimeters apart. Tohru blinked and licked her lips nervously. It just made Kyo want her more. The girl hesitated, staring into his deep red orbs, and he rubbed her back soothingly, as if to tell her it was okay, to not think, but just do it.

Her head began to lean forward, ever so slightly, until their lips were only an inch apart. Just as she was about to close the short distance, a mental image of Hatsuharu popped into her head and she jerked backwards, startling Kyo enough so that he let go of her and she fell unceremoniously onto the bed covers.

Her eyes squeezed shut and her breathing quickened. She didn't want to think about what had almost happened, but it was unavoidable. An image of Kyo's face, so close, too close, formed behind her closed lids. Holding herself protectively, she began to shake violently as she realized that she'd almost given her first kiss away.

Kyo stared at her scared face, the guilt tearing into him as he looked upon her trembling form.

Despite his feelings of hurt at her abrupt rejection, he sat silently with his head bowed, and waited for her to calm down.

Within minutes, Tohru was her normal self again. Kyo turned his head away as she sat up and attempted to smile at him with her usual cheerfulness.

"Kyo, I-"

Kyo stood up wordlessly and walked to the door.

He put his hand on the handle, pausing right before he opened the door to leave.

Averting his eyes to the floor, he said what he couldn't bring himself to say to her face.

"Gomen."

And then he was gone.

A/N: Sorry this was so short, I'll try to make the next chapter a little longer. Let me know how it was, please.


	8. Restless Thoughts And Strange Feelings

I'm very sorry that this chapter is so short. I made you guys wait for a long time and then I can't even give you a longer chapter. I'm the worst. -_- But please try to uderstand; The writer's block hit me so hard and for the longest time I couldn't write anything. And then when I finally do began to continue it I get extremely nervous. I hope the next chapter is better, but just tell me what you think about this one please.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime Fruits Basket, Natsuki Takaya does.

The small girl groaned and rolled over for the fourth time. She hadn't been able to get much sleep after the cat left; So many thoughts had run through her head and they wouldn't let her rest. She didn't know what to do about the strange feelings inside of her. Since Kyo retired to his room the riceball had been pondering over why she hadn't been able to kiss him. When the image of the cow popped into her mind Tohru had felt a sense of betrayal that she didn't understand. It felt as if she would somehow hurt Hatsuharu by doing such a thing. She couldn't tell how she knew she would, she just knew.

Sighing Tohru sat up and stared at her hands. She wanted to sleep, but that was impossible now. The brunette figured the only way she would be able to relax was to leave. The tiny room suddenly felt suffocating. Taking a deep breath she stood and began to rifle through her closet. Five minutes later she tiptoed to the door and silently exited the house.

The riceball had checked the clock on the wall before she left. It was four a clock now. Much too early for anyone in their right mind to be awake. Then again she was too confused to be in her right mind. Every time she thought about the black and white haired juunishi, her stomach turned in an oddly pleasant way. It was very puzzling to Tohru who had never experienced anything like the sensation going through her at that moment.

Maybe seeing him again will help her answer the question at the front of her mind. _'What's happening to me?' _Or…maybe it wont. Either way she needed to meet him. Talking with someone might help calm her nerves and help her forget about her episode with the cat.

Then she thought about something else. What if he wasn't there? At that thought she felt a deep disappointment.

'_That's okay. Anyway the place I'm going is very beautiful. Even if Haru-kun isn't there I'll still feel better in such a soothing place.'_

So, smiling, she continued walking to the place that only Hatsuharu and her knew about.


	9. Pent Up Emotions, Jealousy, And a Kiss

A/N: I am sorry, but the plot in my story took an unexpected turn. It got to where I wanted it to...just not the way it was originally supposed to. You'll understand that more after you read this chapter. I realized that I had been dragging out the plot and that Haru and Tohru hadn't even moved much closer yet. So I had to do this, or I would continue dragging this on forever without the two getting any closer. I really hope you like this chapter. I think its getting close to the end of the story, but since I don't even know when or how it will end, don't get too discouraged, okay? Now, time for the disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime or manga Fruits Basket. Natsuki Takaya is the author of the beautifully animated and illistrated manga and anime.

"Haruhi-kun?"

Tohru knelt down next to the black and white haired boy. He looked like he was sleeping deeply, but she couldn't be sure. Hesitantly, she reached out a hand and let it hover over his head, not touching him. After a moment, her palm slowly came to rest just above his bangs, and she softly ran her slender fingers through his hair, smoothing it out.

Without warning, two strong arms slid around her waist. She had just enough time to release a startled gasp, and then she was pulled down onto his muscled chest.

"Hey, cutie."

Black Haru!

Tohru gulped. Why did he come out this time?

"I've been waiting for you."

In one quick movement, he rolled over, pinning her under him, hands on either side of her slim figure.

This surprised the girl. Looking up, her caramel orbs met his intense gray ones. The riceball licked her lips nervously.

"H-haru-kun, is something wrong? What are you doing?"

He didn't answer her right away. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands, being surprisingly gentle for his darker side. His fingers rubbed her pink cheeks, moving in little circles across the delicate flesh.

"Your so sweet. So _innocent_. If only she were like you."

Chocolate eyes widened. He continued to massage her skin, but she no longer felt his light touch. Her mind focused only on his words, suddenly feeling slightly ill and not knowing why.

"W-who?"

He neglected to answer, but she had a feeling she knew. A sinking sensation like dissapointment settled uncomfortably in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

The cow lowered himself on her chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He breathed in deeply, her lavender scent engulfing his senses.

"She rejected me again. I only wanted to hold her. When she throws up her guard, that makes me want to protect her even more. I don't know what to do anymore. She won't let me touch her at all and it frustrates me to no end."

Tohru noticed that he reverted back to White Haru as he spoke, as if all the pent-up emotion had drained out of him. Unconciously, she rubbed his back like one would a small child. That nearly undid all of his defenses. He took in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, trying to keep his control.

Tohru's light voice drifted to his ears like the soothing sound of water flowing under a bridge. She was acting the part of a mother, as always, but something in her words didn't quite fit the description.

"It's alright. Maybe she just needs some time. Give her her own space for awhile and see what happens. Sometimes people who hurt that badly don't realize that they need someone until their all alone. Then, when they know they can not survive on their own, they seek shelter. They look for sanctuary in the arms of a loved one. Don't worry, she will come to you. Just be patient."

Hatsuharu shifted, and lifted his body up, resting his weight on his hands. Tohru gasped at the naked passion in his smoky steel-gray eyes.

"You know just the right words to say, don't you? Tohru...I don't want to be patient anymore. I've been patient far too long."

He cradled her face in his hands, bringing it ever closer to his. Tohru propped herself on her elbows to meet him halfway. Their faces were so close that they could feel each others breath on their skin.

Tohru knew what was going to happen, and was too dazed and overwhelmed by her emotions to stop it.

When Hatsuharu's lips crashed down on hers, her world came to a standstill.


	10. Hatsuharu And Tohru: A Revealing Truth

A/N: An update, yay! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own this anime/manga.

Yuki's enlarged orbs blinked while Kyo shook with restrained fury, his brows twitching furiously; Shigure's expression showed only mild surprise, though if that was what he was really feeling or not, no one in the house knew, but himself.

"Ms. Honda, let me make sure I understand this correctly; You and Hatsuharu-san...are going out?"

Tohru's beaming face, bright eyes, and jovial countenance was enough to answer the question. "Y-yes, we are."

Next to her, indifferent as ever, Hatsuharu leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, a nonchalant look on his face.

"What of Rin? Have you forgotten about her? Is she suddenly not important to you anymore?" Shigure seemed almost as if he could care less. Eager brown orbs scanned some papers that were drafts of his next story. The dog's reading glasses were perched on his nose and he fiddled with the rim, holding it in place as if afraid they would fall. His voice sounded distracted, yet at the same time faintly curious.

Stormy eyes decreased in brightness, turning a dark grayish-blue. The cow Zodiac had been prepared for this question, but it was still upsetting. His tone was rough, words sounding harsh to Tohru's ears.

"I still love Rin. I always have and always will continue loving her forever." This made the riceball droop sadly. "But, I can no longer wait for her to decide her own feelings. Either she wants to be with me or she doesn't. And it is clear by now that hanging around me is the last thing she wants." The only girl in the house cheered up at this, but instantly felt bad because of her sisterly affections toward Rin.

"So, in other words, your using Tohru to get over your ex-girlfriend?" The angry words left the mouth of a seething cat. Kyo looked like he wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of the black and white haired Jounouchi.

Yuki, though not pleased himself at the sudden turn of events, could not help but be slightly offended by the accusation. He knew Hatsuharu well enough to know that he was not that kind of person, and wouldn't allow the orange-haired feline to judge the bull so harshly.

"Just because your a dishonest two-timer who lies about being in love with Kagura simply because your scared of your own emotions, doesn't mean that everyone is that sneaky and underhanded. Haru-san is not like that at all. Could you do us all a favor and quit making up lies fueled by your own jealous hatred?"

Instantly the enraged neko's temper shifted to the rat. "Are you _asking _for a fight?"

Shigure, wanting to save his poor house from any further damage, inturrupted, or rather prevented, the impending fight with one question directed at the cow.

"Thats all well and good, but what exactly are your true feelings for Tohru? Do you really love her, or is this relationship based purely on lust?"

"Of course I love her. Do you even have to ask?" He gave the onigiri an impassioned look, and the ardent expression brought the heat instantly to her cheeks.

"Well there you have it. Now, Tohru, my little flower, how do you feel towards Haru-san?"

Her cheeks flushed even more at the question. Fiddling with her hands due to nervousness, the girl realized that everyone was staring at her. Yuki with gentle curiousity. Kyo with barely contained impatience. Shigure with a calm demeanor.

Lowering her head, she mumbled something softly, unintelligably.

"Yes, Ms. Honda?" Yuki said kindly.

She raised her head and looked anywhere but at Hatsuharu.

"I said that, um, I-I l...lo-love him."

Yuki and Kyo's hearts dropped to the floor. Their hurt expressions cut Tohru like a knife. She grabbed Haru's hand and squeezed it, as if attempting to acquire a small amount of his strength.

Once again, Shigure was the one to break the tension. "Okay then. It seems to me that these two really, truly, deeply love each other; and anyone who dares to get in the way of such passion will have to answer to me!"

He recieved a good head pounding courtesy of Kyo and Yuki for that bold, yet foolish declaration. And even after that, he still had enough courage to say that he was telephoning Ayame to tell him about the, "Lovely Young Couple," and got twin death glares for it.

Properly deterred, the wounded novelist decided to go back to work and retired to his room.

A tense, awkward silence followed his exit. Kyo was glowering at the ground. Yuki was standing absolutely still, hands behind his back, head bowed, expression obscured by his gray bangs.

Haru simply gazed at them peacefully. If he was feeling even the tiniest bit guilty, it never showed.

Tohru was waving her hands around frantically, looking from one sohma brother to the other, a panicked expression clearly shown on her face. She was murmuring, "Um, um," and trying to think of something to say to both of them. Unfortunately, Kyo turned and stormed out without so much as a glance at her, and Yuki followed after a moment, giving her a brief, unreadable look before he left.

Hatsuharu sighed.

"Yuki-kun is mad at me. I feel terrible, but I can't do anything about it. Think he'll ever forgive me?"

Immediately, Tohru's sunny, reassuring demeanor came back, full blast.

"O-of course he will. He is just hurt and upset, but I am sure that he will forgive you. He just needs time to think about what has happened. This is a big surprise to him after all."

That didn't seem to cheer him much.

"He was my first love. Oh, poor Yuki-kun, how can you bear the thought of me with another lover? It will be a long time before he gets over the pain of lost love. The ache of heartbreak doesn't dull quickly."

The onigiri sweatdropped and laughed. Some people never change.


	11. The Happiest, Sappiest, Ending!

A/N: I had to kill two birds with a single stone, so I wrote around my writer's block, so I could finish this story and concentrate on my other unfinished ones. Tell me honestly, do you think that was a good idea? Well, if it effected the story negatively then, it probably wasn't. But, I can always redo this chapter anyway, so who's complaining? Not me!

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Fruits Basket. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

"You damn rat! This is all _your_ fault!"

"Explain to me how any of this is my doing?"

Kyo faltered, lost for words. However, the pause was very brief, his ire breaking through emotional uncertainty.

"It just is!"

Yuki sighed.

"It doesn't matter now. She made her choice. I guess we were either too late, or she didn't have those feelings for us to begin with."

Kyo half-heartedly kicked at the wall.

"Why him? How could she pick that damn cow over us? What is it that she sees in him anyway?"

Yuki shrugged wearily. He was spent, and had no energy for the cat and his questions.

Kyo sat with his knees bent, arms crossed on said knees, still aggravated over the topic.

"I mean, what does he have that I don't? Even your a better match for her than him. And isn't he in love with you or some crazy shit like that? I just don't get it."

The rat's eye twitched, irritated at the mention of the black and white haired Zodiac's strange crush on him.

Still, the gray haired boy had to wonder about that. Hatsuharu lived to cling to him, hover around him, and flirt with him every chance he got. So, what were his feelings for him now? Did his affections change so suddenly? Then again, the cow did have a tendancy to be unpredictable. Maybe he simply didn't see Yuki that way now - or maybe he never had. Oh well, whatever the case, it didn't matter. He loved Tohru, and her feelings toward him were mutual. Neither of the brothers had a chance in Hell with her now. **That **was the issue here. That was the problem. After all the cat and dog fights, the tug-o-war, the insults...they had lost. It was _over_.

"Could we not talk about this anymore? It's done. It's finished. Ms. Honda...she's lost to us. Forever."

Kyo snorted.

"Yeah, right. I'm not giving up just because cow-boy decides he likes her. If he's just now realizing his own feelings, that's sad. And how did they get together so fast? We've been in love with her for so long...it's not fair! I don't want to let her go. I _**won't **_let her go!"__

Chilling purple eyes, hardened by annoyance, shot to the slumped figure. He wasn't amused or impressed by the other's rather childish proclamation. If anything, it only served to irk him further.

"I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but you don't have any say in the matter. It's Tohru's choice, and she made it. She shouldn't have to forfeit her happiness for anyone. Least of all a stubborn, selfish, needy brat like you."

"Why you-!"

Kyo was on his feet in an instant, face red, and hands balled in two fists at his side.

Yuki, not up for a fight, just turned his back on the seething cat and walked away.

Kyo huffed and threw a punch in the air.

"Damn rat. Always getting me worked up and then walking away."

He scowled, pondering the situation, an intense stare on his face.

Now that Tohru was taken...where did that leave him?

Suddenly, as if in answer to his unspoken question, a door was thrown open and the bane of his existence entered.

"Oh Kyo! My love, I've been looking everywhere for you. I wanted to know i-"

"Whatever it is-no. I'm tired, and I don't really feel like being bothered."

Her smile disappeared. In a flash she was thrashing her arms wildy, striking Kyo over and over again without pausing. When she finally ceased her violent attack, the orange top was sprawled on the floor covered in black and blue bruises.

Kagura knelt beside him, clutching his head close to her chest, and weeping loudly.

"Kyo, who did this to you? My poor, poor Kyo-kun. Don't worry, I'll make it better."

Kyo just groaned, in too much pain to do much else. He coudn't even move. Kagura had to be the only girl who could injure him that badly.

Shigure snickered openly from the doorway. He had come into the room to witness the scene the moment the sound of Kyo's tormented cries reached his ears. Now, he thought with his usual devilishness that Kyo would be very happy with the boar...that is, if she learned to better manage her temper. If not, well...the cat would just have to live with her beatings for the rest of his life.

"Hatsuharu, I don't like this. I mean, I love you, I really do - but what about Yuki and Kyo? They didn't seem too happy for me. I want them to smile and be content with the way things are now, but...is that too selfish?"

The cow was stretched out on the grass, arms crossed behind his back, legs crossed at the knees, staring at the drifting clouds. His expression was serene, and unbothered. But inside...he was worried. Not about Kyo, or even Yuki, but Tohru. He didn't like seeing her upset. It made him uneasy. Like, if Kagura stopped hitting Kyo, he would be afraid of the world coming to an end. It wasn't in Tohru's character to be so distraught, and he hated it, especially since he was the cause...

He smiled sadly, and turned on his side, grabbing her waist and holding her against his chest. She smiled, even through her distress, snuggling up to him. One hand left her waist and moved to the back of her head, smoothing down the hair, as he attempted to soothe the girl. Tohru instantly relaxed, comforted by her lover. They lay in silence for awhile, until he whispered in her ear,

"They'll be fine. Right now, they aren't taking our relationship too well, but soon they will get used to it. Trust me; anyway Kyo has Kagura, and Yuki is very popular with the ladies. Those two will find other people, and, though they won't forget about you, I'm sure they will find happiness."

Tohru lifted her gaze to meet his, her chin tickling him as it gently grazed his chest. Her brown orbs sparkled brilliantly, and the onigiri's cheeks glowed with a girlish blush. Her tone was gentle and yet simultaneously enthusiastic as she spoke.

"Like we did?"

He chuckled deeply, eyes smoldering with the intensity of the emotion he felt. His black and white topped head bent as he leaned into her face.

"Yes. Like us."

And then he captured her pink, strawberry flavored lips in a fiery kiss.

In the future, Kagura would learn to be a loving wife, Tohru would tame the darker side of her boyfriend, and Yuki would find a girl for himself.

But, in the present, time stood still, as the couple shared a warm, tender moment that seemed to last a lifetime.

Fin.

A/N: Bet you guys loved that ending, didn't you? I can't say I find anything wrong with it myself. Except, that poor Shigure didn't get someone. And he can't even flirt with Tohru anymore now. Wow, that must be killing him inside. Please review and tell me what you think about this chapter.


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